Steering assembly for trailers

ABSTRACT

Steering mechanism for a tractor driven multiple wheeled trailer wherein the motive force for steering a plurality of wheeled axle assemblies of the trailer is derived from the fifth wheel of the tractor in the form of flexible draft members extending from the fifth wheel to the first of the wheeled axle assemblies and thereafter each wheeled axle assembly is positively interconnected to its preceding wheeled axle assembly either for pivotal motion in the same or the reverse direction and at preselected amounts.

United States Patent [191 Humes [54] STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR TRAILERS [76]Inventor: Carl E. Humes, 907 Franklin Avenue, Steubenville, Ohio 43952[22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 223,877

Related US. Application Data [60] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.135,243, April 19,

1971, Pat. No. 3,689,107

[52] US. Cl ..280/426, 280/442 [51] Int. Cl. ..B62d 53/06 [58] Field ofSearch ..280/426, 442

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,195,922 7/1965 Humes..280/426 3,533,644 l0/l970 Humes 9/1972 l-lumes ..280/426 1 May 22,1973

3,690,698 9/1972 l-lumes ..280/426 Primary Examinerl.eo FriagliaAtt0rney-Harold L. Stowell [5 7] ABSTRACT Steering mechanism for atractor driven multiple wheeled trailer wherein the motive force forsteering a plurality of wheeled axle assemblies of the trailer isderived from the fifth wheel of the tractor in the form of flexibledraft members extending from the fifth wheel to the first of the wheeledaxle assemblies and thereafter each wheeled axle assembly is positivelyinterconnected to its preceding wheeled axle assembly either for pivotalmotion in the same or the reverse direction and at pre-selected amounts.

3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures SHEET 1 UF3 PATENTEUHAYZZ ma PATENTEB HAYZZI975 SHEET 2 BF 3 STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR TRAILERS Related subject matteris disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,181,914, 3,195,922 and3,533,644, all in the name of Carl E. I-Iumes, and this application is acontinuation-in-part of my co-pending United States application Ser. No.135,243, filed April 19, 1971 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,107.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide new andimproved steering mechanisms for tractor driven multiple axle trailerswhereby the steerable wheeled axle assemblies are positively steered bymovements of the towing tractor and each wheeled axle assembly ispositively controlled in its direction and amount of movement.

A further object is to provide such steering mechanism which, whilesuitable for all types of plural wheeled trailers, has particularutility in low frame type trailers and expandable trailer assemblies asthe steering mechanism is maintained generally below the flanges of thetrailers main frame members and the means interconnecting the pluralwheeled axle assemblies only extend between immediately adjacent wheeledaxle assemblies.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of the invention considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a prospective view looking generally forwardly along theright-hand side of a tractor trailer as sembly equipped with theimproved steering mechanism of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the tractor trailer assembly shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the first, secondand third wheeled axle assemblies of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged partial vertical sectional view of themechanism illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged partially diagrammatic prospective view ofa portion of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the means interconnecting thefifth wheel of the tractor with the first wheeled axle assembly; and

FIG. 8 is a section substantially on line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a tractor trailerassembly generally designated 10 composed of a towing tractor 12 havinga cab 14 and driver steerable front wheels 16 and a trailer 18. Thetrailer 18, in the illustrated form of the present invention, includesfirst, second, third and fourth steerable axle assemblies generallydesignated 20, 22, 24 and 26. In the illustrated form of the inventioneach of the steerable axle assemblies comprises a single axle 28, 30, 32and 34, respectively, which is secured to associated platforms 36, 38,40 and 42. The platforms are rotatably connected to the main framemembers 44 of the tractor in a manner described and claimed in, forexample, my U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,644, granted Oct. 13, 1970. The outboardends of each of the axles rotatably carry conventional wheels generallydesignated 46.

The rearward end of the towing tractor 12 is provided with a drive axleassembly 50, drive wheels 52 and 54 and a conventional slotted fifthwheel 56. Referring particularly to FIGS. 7 and 8, the fifth wheel issecured to the main frame 58 of the towing tractor 12 for limitedpivotal motion on a transverse pin 60 with the fifth wheel slot 62directed generally rearwardly. The main frame members 44 of the trailercarry a kingpin 64, which kingpin is associated with a steering controlplate 66 having secured thereto a depending crank arm 68. The crank arm68 is received in the fifth wheel slot 62 and in its operative position,it lies in the nontapered portion 70 of the slot whereby turning motionof the towing tractor and its attached fifth wheel causes the crank arm68 to rotate on its pivot shaft 72 relative to the main frame members 44of the trailer. These mechanisms are more specifically illustrated in mycopending application Ser. No. 135,243, filed Apr. 19, 1971 In order toutilize the motion imparted to the control plate 66 to rotate the firststeerable axle assembly 20, the control plate 66 is shaped to receiveballed ends 74 and 76 of a pair of flexible draft members 78 and 80,respectively, with each of said flexible draft members 78 and 80 makinga partial turn about the steering control plate 66, thence extendingrearwardly through a cross-over 80', FIG. 2, whereafter the oppositeends of the flexible draft members 78 and 80 are rigidly joined to ashort section of chain 82.

It will be appreciated that the flexible draft members 78 and 80 may beentirely composed of chains and the control plate 60 may include atoothed gear or pulley, such as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of my U.S. Pat.No. 3,533,644, without any particular change in the functioning of theimproved steering mechanism.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the chain 82 istrained about a toothed wheel journalled on a shaft 92, which shaft issecured between the trailers main frame members 44 via cross frame 94.Secured to rotate with the toothed wheel 90 is a lever arm 96 whichcarries at its extended end a vertically aligned pivot pin 98 which isreceived in an elongated slot 100 in the forwardly extending skirt 102formed rigidly with the frame 36 of the first wheeled axle assembly 20.With this assembly as the chain 82 is moved by movement of the controlplate 66 in response to turning movement of the fifth wheel in responseto steering of the trailer, the toothed gear or pulleys 90correspondingly rotates urging the lever arm 96 and its verticallyextending pin 98 to move in slot 100 and movement therein brings aboutcorresponding turning movement of the frame 36 to which axle 28 iscarried. It will be appreciated that the amount of movement of the plate36 and its attached axle 28 is greatest at the beginning of a turn ineither direction and decreases as the turn in either directionapproaches 90 degrees, thus eliminating over control of the trailer.

Extending rearwardly from the plate 36 of the axle assembly 20 is asecond skirt member 104 provided with an elongated slot 106 whichcorresponds to slot 100 in forwardly extending skirt 102. Received inthe slot 106 is a roller 108 mounted for rotation on a pivot pin 110secured between the bifurcated ends 112 of lever or crank arm 114.

The lever 114 is mounted for pivotal movement on a vertical axis viapivot pin 116 secured between upper and lower plate members 118 and 120,the extended ends of which are secured to the main frame members 44 ofthe trailer. The rearward end 122 of the lever arm 114 is also furcatedand the arms thereof carry a pivot pin 124 mounting a further roller126, which roller is received in a slot 128 in the forwardly extendingskirt member 130 rigidly formed with platform 38 of the second wheeledaxle assembly 22.

With this assembly platform 38 is caused to rotate in the oppositedirection to the rotation of the platform 36 of the first wheeled axleassembly 20, and depending on the position of the pivot pin 116 relativeto the pivotal axis of rollers 108 and 126, the degree of steeringcontrol of axle 30 relative to axle 38 is determined to provide for truetracking of the trailer. The platform 38 of the second wheeled axleassembly 22 also is provided with a rearwardly extending skirt member140, which skirt member has mounted thereon a sleeve 142, as moreclearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings. Slidably mounted withinthe sleeve 142 is a shaft 144, the rearwardly extending end 146 of whichis furcated and between the furcations is journalled a pivot pin 148,which pin is mounted between a pair of spaced raceways or track joiningmembers 150 and 152, the extended ends of which are rigidly secured tothe trailer main frame members 44.

The next succeeding wheeled axle assembly 24 also includes a platform160 rotatably mounted to the trailer and to which the axle 32 issecured. The platform 160 includes a forwardly extending skirt member162 which carries a tubular sleeve 164 corresponding to tubular sleeve142 of the rearwardly extending skirt 140 of wheeled axle assembly 22.Slidably received in the tubular sleeve 164 is a shaft 166, the forwardend of which is furcated as at 168 with the extended ends of thefurcations carrying the pivot or slide pin 148. With this assembly thewheeled axle assembly 24 is caused to rotate in the opposite directionto the direction of rotation of the wheeled axle assembly 22, as moreclearly shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. In the illustrated form of theinvention, the transverse track members 150 and 152 are equally spacedfrom the pivotal axis of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies 22 and 24,whereby when wheeled axle assembly 22 rotates in one direction an equaland reverse rotation is imparted to wheeled axle assembly 24. If reverseand unequal movement is desired in wheeled axle assembly 24, theposition of the pair of track forming members 150 and 152 would be movedeither closer or more distant from the pivotal axis of wheeled axleassembly 24. It will also be noted that as the pair of wheeled axleassemblies are caused to rotate from the straight line trackingposition, the shafts 144 and 166 slide outwardly from their respectivetubular sleeves 142 and 164. The platform 116 includes a rearwardlyextending skirt member 170 which is slotted as at 172 to receive thepivot pin 174 carried at the forward bifurcated end 176 of lever arm178, which lever arm corresponds to lever arm 114 interconnecting thefirst and second wheeled axle assemblies;

The lever arm 178 is pivotally connected to cross frames 180 via pivotpin 182 and the rearward end of the lever arm 178 is also bifurcated andreceives between the furcations thereof a pivot pin 184, which pin isreceived in slot 186 formed in the forwardly extending skirt 190 carriedby the platform 42 of the last in the series of wheeled axle assemblies26. It will be noted that the relationship between the pivotal axis 182and the pivotal axis 116 of lever arm 114 are in a reverse relationshipsuch that wheeled axle assembly 26 is steered a greater amount thanwheeled axle assembly 24.

These various relationships are more clearly shown in FIG. 2 wherein therelationship between the amount of steering and the direction ofsteering of each of the wheeled axle assemblies 20, 22, 24 and 26 areshown in relation to the turning of the driven tractor 12.

From the foregoing description of the preferred and alternateembodiments of the present invention, it will co-pending applicationSer. No. 135,243 without de-' parting from the scope of the presentinvention.

I claim:

1. A multiple wheeled tractor-trailer assembly wherein the front end ofthe trailer is pivotally connected by a king pin to a fifth wheelsupported by thetractor and the tractor fifth wheel is of the type whichhas a rearwardly opening king pin receiving slot, at least a pair ofwheeled steerable axle assemblies supporting the trailer, means mountingthe wheeled axle assemblies for controlled pivotal movement relative tothe trailer main frame, a king pin carried at the forward end of thetrailer and adapted to be received in the fifth wheel slot, a controlplate mounted concentric to the king pin, a depending arm secured to thecontrol plate eccentric to the king pin and adapted to be snuglyreceived in the fifth wheel slot rearwardly of the king pin, a verticalshaft mounted to the trailer forward of the first of the pair of wheeledaxle assemblies, a second control plate secured to the upper portion ofthe vertical shaft, a control arm secured to the lower end portion ofthe shaft for rotation therewith, a slide arrangement connecting thecontrol arm to the first of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies,flexible draft members connecting the control plate and the secondcontrol plate to cause pivotal movement of the first of the pair ofwheeled axle assemblies, a lever arm, means pivotally mounting to thetrailer the lever arm intermediate its ends for movement about avertical axis, slide means connecting the forward end of the lever armto the rearward end of the first of the pair of wheeled axle assembliesand further slide means connecting the rearward end of the lever arm tothe second of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies.

2. The assembly defined in claim 1 further including a transverseguideway secured to the trailer, slide means connecting the rearward endof the second of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies to a member mountedfor transverse movementrin said transverse guideway, and slide meansconnecting the forward end of a further wheeled axle assembly to saidmember mounted for transverse movement in said transverse guideway.

3. The assembly defined in claim 2 further including a second lever arm,means pivotally mounting to the trailer the second lever armintermediate its ends for movement about a vertical axis, slide meansconnecting the forward end of the second lever arm to the rearward endof the further wheeled axle assembly and further slide means connectingthe rearward end of the second lever arm to the forward end of anotherwheeled axle assembly.

1. A multiple wheeled tractor-trailer assembly wherein the front end ofthe trailer is pivotally connected by a king pin to a fifth wheelsupported by the tractor and the tractor fifth wheel is of the typewhich has a rearwardly opening king pin receiving slot, at least a pairof wheeled steerable axle assemblies supporting the trailer, meansmounting the wheeled axle assemblies for controlled pivotal movementrelative to the trailer main frame, a king pin carried at the forwardend of the trailer and adapted to be received in the fifth wheel slot, acontrol plate mounted concentric to the king pin, a depending armsecured to the control plate eccentric to the king pin and adapted to besnugly received in the fifth wheel slot rearwardly of the king pin, avertical shaft mounted to the trailer forward of the first of the pairof wheeled axle assemblies, a second control plate secured to the upperportion of the vertical shaft, a control arm secured to the lower endportion of the shaft for rotation therewith, a slide arrangementconnecting the control arm to the first of the pair of wheeled axleassemblies, flexible draft members connecting the control plate and thesecond control plate to cause pivotal movement of the first of the pairof wheeled axle assemblies, a lever arm, means pivotally mounting to thetrailer the lever arm intermediate its ends for movement about avertical axis, slide means connecting the forward end of the lever armto the rearward end of the first of the pair of wheeled axle assembliesand further slide means connecting the rearward end of the lever arm tothe second of the pair of wheeled axle assemblies.
 2. The assemblydefined in claim 1 further including a transverse guideway secured tothe trailer, slide means connecting the rearward end of the second ofthe pair of wheeled axle assemblies to a member mounted for transversemovement in said transverse guideway, and slide means connecting theforward end of a further wheeled axle assembly to said member mountedfor transverse movement in said transverse guideway.
 3. The assemblydefined in claim 2 further including a second lever arm, means pivotallymounting to the trailer the second lever arm intermediate its ends formovement about a vertical axis, slide means connecting the forward endof the second lever arm to the rearward end of the further wheeled axleassembly and further slide means connecting the rearward end of thesecond lever arm to the forward end of another wheeled axle assembly.